2. I have long-been a secret admirer of tights, although until today, I have resisted wearing them myself.

Now that that's out of the way, let's check out my outfit, hmm?

Ignore the twinkle-eyes (darn you flash!)

So, you know when a piece just speaks to you? It calls out your name? It screams, "Buy me, buy me!"

Don't look at me like that. I know I'm not the only one who hears that voice in my head.

She was yelling loud and clear Saturday morning, when I stopped by Off the Rack in Largo. It's one of those independent shops I don't get to nearly enough. The store was having a 25 percent off sale, and I loaded both arms with items and headed into the dressing room.

This bright blue dress was the only thing to fit perfectly. And, it was only $9 -- ($6.75 once the discount kicked in)

See? Fate.

I don't know if you can see in the pic (thanks Deal Diva Katie!) but the dress is extremely simple, with just some pleating detail around the neckine.)

'Course, I accessorized it up this morning, starting with a silver chain necklace with a flower detail. Then I tied a black belt arounf the waist. I was going for a big bow, but it's kind of wilting here.

And then I put on my zipper shoes. Just typing that is so fun. Zipper shoes, zipper shoes, zipper--

OK, too much coffee.

And that's that.

WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT, you say. Tell us about the tights!

Well. Since you asked.

I told you earlier that I've been reluctant to rock tights. I don't know why. It's one of those invisible fashion hang-ups I've had, despite loving them on everyone else. Kinda like maxi-dresses. (Although I'm inching toward accepting that maybe I'm NOT too short to pull one of those off...)

Anyway, my resistance started to waver this weekend when I looked at the weather report. And then I found myself in Target yesterday browing the "Hoisery" section.

About the bloggers

Looking for shopping deals in Tampa Bay? The Deal Divas are on the prowl, sniffing out hot fashion finds that won't leave your wallet in ruins. Now you never have to miss a shopping deal! Check in often for the lowdown on local bargains, as well as fashion advice, fun photos and style news. Disclaimer: The content of this blog is produced by the editorial staff of the Times and is not tied to advertising. E-mail us ideas you'd like us to write about.

Stephanie Hayes , addicted to heels for 15 years, has been experimenting with ballet flats, boots and cute sneakers lately. Her poor, tired feet thank her. She can never get enough animal print, and her eye shadow collection has become a bit of a hoard. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She knows a healthy swipe of red lipstick can make any outfit better. She can be reached at (727) 893-8716 or shayes@tampabay.com.

Katie Sanders foolishly spurned pretty dresses and shoes as a child, tossing new clothes over her shoulder at birthday parties with a totally rude "no, thank you." Her drab days of monocolor outfits are over now, and she certainly knows better than to turn down free stuff. Her wardrobe mixes classic with quirk. Think blazers with statement necklaces, and lots of patterned ballet flats. She can be reached at (727) 893-8037 or ksanders@tampabay.com.

Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or kstanley@tampabay.com.

A compulsive deal scourer, Michelle Stark is trying to evolve her style philosophy from grab-it-because-it's-cheap-and-worry-if-it-fits later to one that embraces quality staples and more color. When it comes to her closet, it's generally still quantity over quality, but she recently splurged on a treasured pair of Lucky jeans. Progress! Her style leans toward classically cutesy - think Loft, The Limited and Banana Republic, blouses with bows, blazers with polka dots and all the skinny jeans in sight. But she never turns down a trip to a thrift store, or JC Penney. Her greatest sartorial sale achievement was finding her senior prom dress on clearance for $20. She can be reached at (727) 893-8829 or mstark@tampabay.com.

Following her little rockabilly heart, Lydia Harvey strives for an alternative/mid-century/elementary school mom aesthetic — a tip of the fascinator to personal heroes Joan Jett, Claire Dunphy and the iconic Elizabeth Taylor. Heels are her signature, fit-and-flare her weakness. She owns 12 too many coats for a native Floridian and has gleefully conceded that gold is bananas. Second only to scrolling through daily boutique arrivals, her dearest pastime is compulsively styling for sporting events and travel, all on a budding family’s dime. She can be reached at (727) 892-2939 or lharvey@tampabay.com.

Katherine Snow Smith’s closet is filled with colorful patterns from a Lilly halter with pink and yellow giraffes to a maxi dress with oversized flowers and peace signs. She likes many styles— bohemian, preppy, vintage, classic— as long they’re unique and on sale. She’ll splurge at Saks or Anne Fontaine but favorite spots are T.J. Maxx and consignment stores. Her best purchase? A one-sleeve kaleidoscope-print Valentino blouse from the Sloan Kettering hospital resale shop in New York. (Legend has it Jackie O. used to drop her discards there.) When Katherine was 14 she bought a $29 oversized, velvet-covered anthology of Oscar fashion. She can be reached at (727) 409-3642 or kssmith@tampabay.com.

Lisa Gartner grew up wearing her older brother's clothes (hey Dan!) and kind of never stopped: She still has a few of his button-downs hanging in her closet; luckily his No Fear shirts have been lost to time and sense. A reformed tomboy, Lisa likes to mix masculine and feminine pieces. Her work look is, more often than not, Oxfords with pencil skirts. She owns more baggy sweaters than there are days below 70 degrees in Florida. The bags under her eyes are knock-offs. She can be reached at (727) 893-8707 or lgartner@tampabay.com.